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RESIDENTS in villages across Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire are being encouraged to keep an eye out for one of the rarest creatures known to man.

The elusive Rix Golden Gnome, of which just 25 remain in the wild, will be scattered around villages across the region from Sunday, June 1st.

And anyone who finds one will win a prize.

The gnomes are making an appearance to help leading East Yorkshire fuel company Rix Petroleum celebrate the 50th anniversary of its heating services business.

Each one harbours a prize ranging from carbon monoxide monitors and free boiler services to a fuel storage tank or 500 litres of residential heating oil.

Duncan Lambert, director of Rix Heating Services, said the golden gnomes would be hidden in public places across villages in North Lincolnshire and Yorkshire but they may be quite difficult to spot.

“It is a very elusive creature, the Rix Golden Gnome, and very shy,” he said.

“They won’t come out for just anybody, you have to really search if you want to find one of them. But it could be worth it because they are carrying treasure and if you manage to track one down and capture the little fellow that treasure is all yours.”

Another 25 Golden gnomes will be hidden around Driffield Show ground on the day of the town’s annual agricultural show on Wednesday, July 16th, also offering prizes to the lucky winners.

Rix Heating Services was founded in 1964 and has serviced thousands of oil boilers and attended countless emergency call outs across the region over the past 50 years.

The company is part of the J.R. Rix & Sons group which provides a range of services from fuel distribution to shipping and has been operating in East Yorkshire for more than 140 years.

Mr Lambert added that hiding the gnomes was a fun way of marking the company’s golden anniversary and at the same time involving the public in the celebrations.

“Thousands of pounds of prizes are on offer, from oil storage tanks and free heating oil to discounts of boiler services, so we’re hoping to spark a full blown gnome hunt across the region,” he said.

The gnomes will be available to find from June 1st and will be distributed among the villages of Reedness, Carlton-le-Moorland, Bassingham, Fulstow, Glaisdale, Langtoft, Weaverthorpe, Winestead, Withernwick, Garton, Ulrome, Middleton-on-the-Wolds, Kilnwick, Lockington, Etton, North Newbald, Little Weighton, Eastrington, Wistow, Wheldrake, Alne, Great Ouseburn, Stillington, Westow and Seaton Ross.